This Is What Happens When You Ask Reddit For Legal Advice

If you needed help with a legal situation, would you ask the first five people you see on the street? Of course not. So, why would you seek answers for a highly sensitive issue from a bunch of people on the internet who wouldn't have to face any consequences for their advice?

There's apparently an entire subreddit for this bad idea, though the disclaimer on the side reads, "Any advice found here IS NOT legal advice. Reddit is not a substitute for a real lawyer." That's odd, since the subreddit is literally called "legaladvice," but OK. Even though there's a sentence urging people to not take advice from a vague pool of lawyers and maybe-lawyers, some of them still do anyway.

One of these people was "antons_key," who was divorcing his wife and is now in some shit. You see, he had previously followed Reddit's legal advice, and he was inexplicably going back to the well. The post was titled " I'm in some deep shit in a divorce."

A while back I asked for advice on a good divorce attorney in another sub. Someone said:

"You don't have to hire the best or most expensive attorney. You need to consult with the top family attorneys in town. The lawyer cannot represent your ex to be if you've discussed your marriage with them. It's a conflict of interest. Read up on it, there are a few tricks you can pull to help even the playing field"

Based on the advice I got I spent the next few weeks talking with like 30 divorce attorneys in town, so that my wife and her dad would not be able to hire one. I never hired an attorney myself because I could not afford one but my wife found one anyway.

Apparently they found out what I did, probably because it was so hard for her to get an attorney, and today I just got hit with a motion for attorneys fees saying that what I did was abuse of process, an attempt to deprive and interfere with justice, bad faith, and a bunch of other stuff. And that I have to pay part of her attorney fees because I made it more expensive for her.

Is there something I can do to stop this? This is in Utah.

That was bad advice, and even more unwise to talk about actually doing it. As someone in the replies pointed out, the suggestion is also nearly identical to a subplot on The Sopranos. So, there's a chance antons_key followed the input of a person on the internet who once watched The Sopranos.

At least he got what he paid for.

[ Reddit]

H/t to @Lahlahlindsey